The weeks slipped contentedly past, and spring turned into summer. Oliver was now a strong and healthy boy, and very fond of Rose and Mrs Maylie - as they were of him.
几个星期，飞快地溜过去了，转眼春天成了夏天。如今奥利弗已长成一个壮实健康的小伙子，他很喜欢罗斯小姐和梅莱太太――她们也很喜欢他。
One hot summer evening, after a walk in the country, Rose became very weak and pale, and confessed she felt ill. By the next morning she was in a dangerous fever, and Mrs Maylie and Oliver were afraid she might die. Mrs Maylie sent Oliver to the nearest town, for miles away, to post two express letters. One was to Dr Losberne in Chertsey, the other to Harry Maylie, Mrs Maylie's son.
一个炎热的夏季夜晚，在乡间散完步后，罗斯就小姐病怏怏的，脸色也一片惨白，她觉得她病了。第二天早上，她就发高烧，梅莱太太和奥利弗担心她会病死。梅莱太太让奥利弗到最近的几里外的镇上去寄两封快信。一封是给彻特西的罗斯伯利医生的，另一封是给梅莱太太的儿子哈里·梅莱的。
Oliver, filled with anxiety, ran as fast as he could along the country roads and across the fields until, hot and exhausted, he reached the town. He posted the letters and turned to hurry home again. As he was running past a pub in the main street, he accidentally bumped into a tall man in black coming out. The man stared at Oliver. "What the devil's this?' he said, stepping back.
奥利弗很着急，他尽可能快地在乡间小路上跑，跑过田地，等到镇上时他是又热又累的。他寄出信后，就急匆匆地往回跑。当他跑过主干道旁的酒馆时，突然撞到了一个宛如来自黑暗的高大的男人的身上。男人死死地盯着奥利弗。“这魔头是谁？”他边说边往后退。
"I'm sorry, sir. I was in a hurry, and didn't see you."
“对不起，先生，我赶时间。刚没看到您。”
The man murmured angrily to himself, 'Who would have thought it? Curse him! I can't get away from him."
男人自言自语。“谁能想得到呢？该死的，我不会放了他的。”
"I'm sorry, sir" repeated Oliver, frightened by the man's wild, staring eyes.
“对不起，先生”奥利弗又说了一遍，被男人直勾勾的凶狠眼神吓坏了。
'The devil break your bones!' the man said through his teeth. 'What are you doing here?' He raised his hand and started towards Oliver with a mad look in his eyes, but fell violently to the ground, shaking and gasping, in a fit. People hurried up and helped the man into the pub while Oliver, thinking that the man was mad, ran quickly home.
“魔鬼能敲死的你骨头”男人一字一字咬牙切齿地说。“你来这做什么？”他伸手就想抓奥利弗，像要疯了似的，但很配合地重重地摔在地上滚了滚，气喘吁吁的。人们慌慌张张地把男人抬进了酒馆，奥利弗还想着那个男人应该是疯了，便飞快地跑回了家。
Mrs Maylie and Oliver passed a sleepless night, and Rose grew steadily worse as the fever burned in her. Oliver said every prayer he had ever learnt ten times over.
梅莱太太和奥利弗一晚没睡。罗斯的状况更差了，烧得浑身都热。奥利弗将他学过的每一篇祷告文都说了10遍以上。
Late the next day Dr Losberne and Harry Maylie arrived, and the house was full of worried faces and anxious whispers. But the danger passed, and by the next night Dr Losberne was able to announce that, though seriously ill, Rose would not die. Oliver cried for joy.
第二天傍晚，罗斯伯利医生和哈里·梅莱都到了。房里的人都很焦虑、惶惶不安。但危险已经过去了，到第二天晚上，罗斯伯利医生就说度过了最难的难关，罗斯小姐脱离生命危险了。奥利弗听到消息喜极而泣。
A day or two later, Mrs Maylie talked privately to her son. Harry was a handsome young man of about twenty-five, with a cheerful, honest face and friendly manners. He was clearly very fond of Rose.
一两天后，梅莱太太与他儿子单独谈话。哈里是个英俊潇洒的年轻人。他25岁，乐观实诚待人友好，深深地爱着罗斯小姐。
'I know that you want to marry Rose.' Mrs Maylie told her son, 'and she is the nicest person i know. But i want you to remember one thing-her birth.'
“我知道你想娶罗斯小姐，”梅莱太太对儿子说。“她是我见过的最好的人，但我希望你记得一件事――她的出身。”
'Mother, that means nothing to me,' said the young man. 'I love her.'
“妈，我不在乎”年轻人说。“我爱的是她。”
'I know you do, Harry, but she herself is well aware of her doubtful birth, and this might affect her answer if you ask her to marry you. I know you have ambitious to enter politics. If you marry a woman with a stain on her name, even though it's not her fault, it might spoil your chances of success of life. Society is cruel, Harry. People might use the knowledge of your wife's doubtful birth against you, and against your children, too. And one day, you might begin to regret your marriage.'
“我知道你爱她，哈里，但她自己会在乎那不清不楚的出身，如果你向她求婚时，这可能会影响她回你的话。我知道你一心想搞政治。如果你娶了一个家族有污点的女人，即使这不是她的错，这也可能会阻碍你生活上能成功的机会。社会是残酷的，哈里，人们有可能利用你夫人不清楚的出身来诋毁你，甚至是你的子女。有朝一日，你可能会后悔结婚的。”
'Only a selfish man would do that, Mother!' Harry answer impatiently. 'No, I am quite determined. I have loved Rose for a long time, and nothing will ever change that.'
“只有自私的人才会那样，妈妈！”哈里不耐烦地说。“是，我心意已决。我爱了罗斯很久，没什么能改变的。”
Mrs Maylie sighed. 'And she, i know, is very fond of you. But she herself may try to protect you, and refuse an offer of marriage from you, for your sake. Remember that, Harry. But now, i must go back and sit with her.'
梅莱太太叹了一口气。“我知道，她也很爱你。可若她想护着你，保全你的声誉，她会拒绝你的求婚的。记住了，哈里。但现在我得回去陪她坐会。”
'Will you tell her how much I've worried about her?' asked Harry. 'And how anxious i am to see her again?'
“你会告诉她我有多担心她吗？”哈里问。“又是多想见她一面吗？”
'Of course i will,' replied Mrs Maylie.
“我会告诉她的”梅莱太太说。
Some days after this conversation, Oliver was sitting in the room where he studied in the evenings. It was a warm night, and he had been studying hard for some hours. He fell asleep at his desk and started dreaming. He dreamt that he was in Fagin's house again, and could see the old man sitting in his corner, whispering to another man. 'Yes, my dear,' he heard Fagin say, 'You're right. That's him.'
这次谈话的几天后，奥利弗坐在他晚间学习的房间里。夜晚很暖和，他已经学了好几个小时了。他趴在桌上昏昏欲睡，做了个梦。他梦到他又回到费金的屋里了。老犹太正坐在他的墙角和另一个男人交头接耳地说话。“好的，亲爱的”他听到费金说，“没错。那是他。”
译《雾都孤儿》第十章：乡下的日子（一）
In Oliver's dream the other man answered, 'Of course it is! I told you i'd seen him. I'd recognize him anywhere. If i walked across his unmarked grave, i'd know it was him buried under the ground.'
在奥利弗梦里的另一个男人回：“当然，我跟你说过我见过他。我不管在哪都能认出他。要是我路过他没题字的坟冢时，我都知道地下葬的是他。”
更多译文：
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，由著名作家查理德·罗杰根据英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯的同名小说改写。英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。
本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时简书可删除文章。
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